Trials and Error
by Raivis-Latvijas
Summary: When a masked man kidnaps Tino and leaves Alexianos with three tasks to do in three days in order to save Tino's life, how far will Alexianos go to save the one he loves? How much is he willing to suffer through to save Tino? ArmeniaxFinland. T for blood, violence.
1. Beginning

"_Jan… Alex… Alexianos… _Alex!"

I was roused from my sleep with a start, sitting up quickly, just to bash my forehead into my husband's nose. I concluded within a few seconds that he had been trying to wake me up for a little while now. Damn, I was a heavy sleeper.

I fell back into the pillow, clutching my forehead. "Ow… Tino, your nose is hard as fuck. My poor forehead…"

"Geez, Alexei, your forehead? My nose." Tino chuckled. "Oh well. I don't have a very prominent nose anyways. Anyways, you've slept until noon!"

I sighed and rolled out of bed, rubbing my tired eyes. My name's Alexianos Kirzigian; thirty-two years of age, about five-nine, average weight. Dark hair, dark eyes, a patch of facial hair on my chin, Armenian, so-called architectural genius; the works, you know?

My Finnish husband, a twenty-seven year old fitness instructor named Tino Väinämöinen, was something to behold. He was handsome, leanly muscled, with light blonde hair and near-violet eyes. Only about an inch shorter than me, and around the same weight considering his fitness.

"Ugh… I had terrible insomnia all last week, you know… I finally got to sleep at like three in the morning last night." I mumbled, stretching my tired limbs, a few cracks and pops coming from my joints.

"Oh, I'm sorry… You could have woken me, you know." Tino apologized, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"What could you have done to help? I'd rather you have gotten your sleep. You had to get up early this morning to work with one of your clients." I said, turning and wrapping my arms around my husband. He smelled strongly of sweat and I cringed. "Phew, you need a shower."

"I know. I just got home from running with Andelko. That man ran a bit over five miles today and only stopped a few times. He's making great progress."

"Five miles? Christ, that's an amazing comeback from hardly being able to walk two weeks ago after that car crash."

"I know. It's amazing how much he's pushing himself to get back in shape and recover. Sometimes I think he pushed himself too much, but he insists he's alright. I still advise him to take it easy, but he doesn't listen too well." Tino laughed a bit. "You would think a neurosurgeon would, but I guess I'm wrong."

"Yeah. Well, hop in the shower, Tino. I'm going to get straight to work today; I've got to finish the design for the new chapel just outside of town within the next four days. Hopefully I can get it done soon so I can actually spend some time with you. Do you have any clients later today?" I asked as I started getting myself dressed in a pair of jeans and a royal purple button-up.

"Just a quick meeting with one of my less-regular clients to assess their goals and if they've met them. Six o clock. I should be back around seven-thirty. If I'm not, assume that I'm working out or something. Don't worry about me. Alright? I know the last time I didn't get back in a decent amount of time, you worried yourself to near-illness."

I chuckled, smiling. "Alright. I'll try not to. Please text me or call me if you're going to be out later than usual though. You know I can't hel-"

A loud crash from the kitchen made both Tino and I jump out of sudden shock.

"What was that?" Tino asked. I shrugged a bit.

"Can't be anything terrible." I replied, heading out of the room, going down the hall, and descending down the spiral stairs to the living room. I then made my way to the kitchen cautiously, though I presumed that the crash Tino and I had heard was nothing detrimental.

Though, I presumed wrong.

A masked man, brandishing a metal baseball bat, was standing in the kitchen, glancing around.

"Who the hell are you?! Get out of my house!" I exclaimed. The masked man turned to me, a sinister look in his eyes.

"Well, well. Alexianos, it's been years since I last saw you… I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to play a little game with you." He said with an oddly familiar accented voice. I couldn't pinpoint who was hiding behind the mask though.

"Who are you?" I asked, staring at his eyes, practically feeling the evil radiating off of him.

"You should know, but I guess you don't remember how you ruined me so long ago. I'll let you speculate for, oh, ten seconds."

"Ten seconds? What?"

Almost as soon as I got the words out of my mouth, I took a baseball bat to the skull, and was knocked unconscious.

When I awoke, I was sitting on the couch, two envelopes and a small box sitting on my lap. My blurred vision soon cleared, and I sat up quickly, looking around in a panic.

"Tino!" I shouted. "Tino, where are you?!"

I received no response. My heart nearly stopped; Tino was gone, along with the man whom had wanted to play a "game" with me. Who was he? Why did he seem so familiar? And what were these envelopes and the package doing on my lap?

I carefully looked them over. Each one was labeled with a number. The first one was an envelope sealed with a red wax stamp in the shape of a star. I opened it, and began to read the letter that resided inside.

_Dear Alexianos,_

_I told you I wanted to play a game. I wasn't kidding. I have kidnapped your precious husband and taken him somewhere secret, somewhere you must find. But, it's not going to be easy. I'm going to give you three tasks, or as I call them, trials. You must do at least one task each day in order to save Tino. If you fail to do the tasks, or you exceed the time limit, I will kill Tino._

_Your first task is to go to the old Emerson Warehouse at the south end of town. You know, the abandoned one that no one ever goes in or around? Go there. Go in the door labeled 'staff' and you will be presented with a semi-circular opening to a tunnel. You must crawl through that tunnel, and reach the end, where a note lies in wait for your arrival. That note has the first clue as to the whereabouts of your missing husband._

_Oh, and if the police get involved and I find out that Tino has been declared missing in any way, I'll shoot him and kill him before you can even say goodbye._

_Are you willing to suffer for the person you love? Your first trial starts now._

_-I.B._

I stared in shock at the words before me. I.B.? Who the hell? Why had he kidnapped Tino? Why did he want me to go through three trials to save Tino?

I presumed he had no choice. I had to do this. I had to save Tino. There was no second guessing that this I.B. guy was serious. No one just barges into someone's home, tells them he wants to play a game, knocks them out with a baseball bat, and puts them on a couch with three tasks to save the victim's kidnapped lover.

I stood from my place on the couch, shoving the first letter in the pocket of my jeans. I ignored the ache in my head and grabbed my winter coat, quickly lacing up a pair of old work boots on my feet, and heading out the door into the winter cold.

I looked around the driveway for my car and sighed, noting the fact that there were wheel clamps on all four tires of my four-door sedan. I.B was most definitely making this difficult. I now had to walk all the way to the southern part of town to get to the abandoned Emerson Warehouse.

Walking through the frigid winter weather, I eventually arrived. I entered the door labeled staff, and was greeted by a gray room with a single semi-circular opening in one of the walls. There was broken glass scattered about the floor, as well as in the entrance of the tunnel.

"Please tell me this tunnel doesn't have broken glass covering the floor…" I muttered, crouching down and inspecting the tunnel. I sighed shakily, unprepared for what was going to be an incredibly painful task. I had to move slow, or else I risked cutting myself up the entire way down the tunnel.

As I got on my hands and knees, then lowered myself into an army-crawling position on the glass-covered floor, I questioned whether or not this was really worth it. I quickly shoved those thoughts away, knowing that I had to save Tino. There was no hesitating here; I had to just _crawl forward._

I could hardly bring myself to start to move. I was trembling in fear; not of the dark or of the small space, but of the pain that inevitably would occur from me crawling through the glass. I knew my clothing would be pierced and torn. I knew my arms and legs and maybe my abdomen would get cut. There was no avoiding it.

Frozen in my fear, I must have waited ten minutes before I finally convinced myself to move. I slowly started to crawl, trying to use my forearms in a sort of snowplow effect to push the glass to the side and clear it away from my body and legs, but I had no such luck, and was forced to start lifting my arms and setting them down on the razor-sharp glass. I winced in pain as I felt the shards pierce through my clothing and tear into my arms. Anyone with an ounce of sense in them wouldn't continue, but I had one goal, and that was to save Tino at all costs.

That man was my life. He had guided me to success, and had loved me more than anyone else. He was heaven personified, or at least, something like that.

I crawled painfully for what must have been ten minutes before I had to stop myself from continuing. I was in so much pain. My arms and legs were torn up and bleeding; I was sure there was a trail of red through the tunnel.

"G-God damn it…." I groaned, tears in my eyes. They dripped to the glass-covered floor, and a let out a shaky sigh.

_It's all for Tino. _I kept telling myself that, but it hardly motivated me. I was in _so much _pain_._ The glass had torn my clothes to shreds, and my skin to something similar. The pain was so intense. It was worse than anything I had experienced. Every movement sent incredible agony through me; God damn my nerves for sending signals to my brain to cause me pain. I was aware of the fact that I was crawling through glass, the least my brain could do for me was shut down and numb me.

My heart pounded and I glanced over my shoulder slightly, noting how far I had gotten through the tunnel. The entrance was a long crawl away, which meant I must have been getting close to the end of the tunnel. Adrenaline suddenly surged through me with the though; this task could almost be over.

I began crawling once again, trying my best to ignore the intense pain that came with each movement. The stinging glass cut into me like knives, but I resisted the urge to give up, and continued, until _finally_ I reached the end of the tunnel. A small dimly-lit clearing was in my view. I scrambled into it, practically worshipping the glass-less area. A small note tacked to the wall caught my eye though, and I grabbed it without hesitation. I looked it over.

____4___ __R_____e___ __

It was the first clue to my husband's location.

I shoved the note in my pocket and sighed shakily, looking around. There was no way out other than to retrace the bloody path I had left.

With adrenaline still coursing through my veins, and the rush of finding the first note fueling my movements, I made my way back through the tunnel, crawling ever-so slowly for about a half hour before I reached the entrance I had originally came in.

I stood on shaky legs, blood dripping from my shredded arms and legs, leaving droplets of red on the cold floor. I was in bad shape. There were small pieces of glass jammed so far into my skin that even when I walked, or rather, stumbled, they didn't budge from their place.

I walked out of the warehouse and began making my way down the streets, heading back home. The walk was grueling and the agony in my arms and legs was really getting to me. Thankfully the air outside was cold, and it soothed the swollen, bloody mess that were my wounds.

About halfway to my house, a red pick-up truck pulled up next to me, and the passenger window rolled down to reveal a long-time friend of mine; Eileen. She was a Scottish woman of thirty-two years.

"Jesus Christ, Alex, are ye okay?" She asked. I stopped and looked to her, shaking my head.

"I… I need to get home, Eileen." I said. "Will you give me a ride?"

"Well, no. Ye look to be in rough shape; ye need to go to the hospital." She told me as I opened the passenger door and got in.

"I can't. Some madman kidnapped Tino and has given me three days to complete three tasks or else he'll kill Tino… I can't waste precious time in going to the hospital."

"Ye're kidding me, right? Ye can't be serious."

"Would I be kidding you at a time like this, Eileen? My arms and legs are torn to shreds because that… that crazy bastard's first task for me was to crawl through a tunnel full of broken glass to get to a not with a fragment of the address Tino's at. I have the note…" I reached into my pants pocket and retrieved the note, which was stained red by blood. Eileen glanced to it, eyes widened.

"Ye really aren't kidding me…" She murmured, running a hand through her curly ginger locks. "I'll take ye home, but… Ye need help. I could give Sadik a call and ask him to come take care of ye. He'll fix ye right up."

"It's about the only help I'll have… Thanks, Eileen." I replied, giving her a smile, though it was pained. I was in some severe pain.

She drove quietly to my home and I entered it quietly, Eileen following close behind. I, knowing it would be painful to lay on the couch, tore the cushions off, laid them on the floor, then used them as a sort of mattress.

"Please… call Sadik, Eileen… Th-This hurts… so bad…" I said, holding back tears. I couldn't believe I had completed that task. I couldn't believe I had been crazy enough to crawl through broken glass for almost an hour just to get two letters and a number off of a note.

But that note was a start to finding my husband. It was the first clue to the address. I couldn't regret this decision, but the pain was edging me closer and closer to regretting not doing more to stop I.B. from getting in the house and taking Tino.

As I lay there, Eileen on the phone with Sadik, I watched quietly as blood dripped from my arms and legs to the cushions below me. The blood stained the blue fabric easily, and I let out a sigh. I was in bad condition. I was just an architect; I was no soldier. I was not incredibly physically fit, and I was not mentally prepared to take the risks I had to take.

Eileen sat in a chair once she got off the phone and stared sadly at me. "Can I ask how this happened, Alex?"

"Earlier today… I was… Tino had just waked me up from sleeping. We were getting ready to get on day and… there was a crash from the kitchen… I went down to investigate and there was a man in all black standing there with a baseball bat…" I shifted my position to try to ward off some pain, but I only made it worse. "He told me he wanted to play a game… and apparently I ruined him in the past… He hit me in the head with the bat and must've knocked me out cold… And he must have moved me, because when I woke up, I was sitting on the couch with two letters and a small package on my lap… They're labeled one to three… The first letter…" I reached into my pocket and retrieved the letter that had been in there since I left the house earlier in the day. "Here…"

I handed Eileen the bloodied piece of paper, and she read it. I watched her expression become very concerned. "This is mighty serious, Alex… Ye… Ye have to do these tasks, though... Ye have to save Tino…"

"I-I know… and judging by the fact that this was only the first task, I… I don't even want to know what my other two will be…"

"Sadik is on his way, by the way… He took some supplies from the hospital, so ye'll be gettin' some much-needed medical attention…"

"Yeah… Thanks…" I found it hard to continue speaking. My mind was clouded with pain and thoughts of failing these tasks, and what the remaining tasks were and how I was going to complete them without giving up or running out of time.

Soon, Sadik arrived, and he was immediately in shock.

"Holy Hell… Eileen wasn't kidding when she said you're in rough shape…" He said. The tall Turkish man knelt down beside me, placing a small backpack down on the floor. "We've got to get your clothes off and disinfect the wounds… Shit, looks like there's some glass stuck in there too, huh? I know I have some tweezers but… I don't have any anesthetics. All I have is a bottle of paracetamol. It's a painkiller." He explained.

"I-I don't care, Sadik, just do what you have to do." I said, gritting my teeth in pain. With the help of the thirty-eight year old doctor, I was carefully stripped of my blood-soaked clothing. Even though I was lying there in just my boxers, I wasn't embarrassed. I was in too much pain to be embarrassed.

Sadik used what he could to help me. He picked out the glass with tweezers, used disinfectant to reduce my risk of dying from these cuts, stitched a few bad ones up, and wrapped both my arms and both my legs in bandages. He then handed me two paracetamol pills and a bottle of water that he had in the bag.

"These will help with the pain. They're strong, so you can't take too many or else it can lead to things being worse than they already are."

I nodded my head and took the pills, lying back down once I had taken a few sips of water. "You two can leave if you'd like…" I muttered. I did not wish for them to babysit me. I did not wish for them to see me like this; to see me cry in pain and agony. To see me cry for fear that I may not complete the tasks at hand or that I may run out of time or that _I may never see Tino again._

"I know for sure I'm not leaving." Sadik said. "You and I may not be on the best of terms, but I'm not letting you continue to do these tasks without any medical assistance. I'll stay here until this is over."

"Aye. Me too." Eileen agreed. The two showing their support almost brought a smile to my face, but my emotions were set on 'depressing' and 'pained' until I saved Tino.

"Thanks, you two… I…" I sighed. "I need to save Tino… There's no way I'm letting that I.B. guy kill him…"

"Why can't we get the police involved?" Sadik asked.

"It says in the first letter that I.B. will kill Tino if he finds out that the cops have been alerted." Eileen explained.

"… Well, for now just rest, Alex. How long do you have to do these tasks?" Sadik questioned, looking to me.

"Three days…" I replied. "A task a day…"

"I see… Well… Sleep tonight. Tomorrow you can get the second task done with."

I nodded my head slightly, looking over to the table next to the couch where the letters and the small package were. I questioned what the third task was that required whatever was in the box. I didn't know what to expect.

I sighed quietly and stared up at the ceiling, my eyes clouded with tears. This was unbearable.

I let the tears fall from my eyes, and I didn't reach up to wipe them away. Moving hurt too much. I would wait until morning to even try to be active again. I would lie here, and cry, and ponder whether tearing my arms and legs to shreds was worth getting two letters and a number from a note.

I didn't know when it happened, but eventually, my eyes slid shut, and I fell asleep.


	2. Middle

I awoke in the early morning, my legs and arms screaming in pain. I forced myself to sit up and I grabbed the bottle of pills that Sadik had brought from the hospital, along with the bottle of water he had. I quickly took three of the pills; more than the recommended dose, most likely, but I didn't care. I just wanted the pain to subside long enough for me to get the second task over with.

I glanced around, noting the fact that Eileen had fallen asleep on one recliner, a blanket draped over her curvy figure, and Sadik had fallen asleep on the floor a few feet away from me with a pillow under his head and a second blanket covering his legs.

Standing on pained legs, I made my way over to the table, where the second letter resided. Two wax stars sealed the envelope this time. I opened it, and retrieved the letter, reading it over with hard-to-focus eyes. I hoped that the Paracetamol would kick in soon. The pain in my limbs was going to prevent me from doing quite a bit.

_Dear Alexianos,_

_So, you may have passed the first trial. Good job. Maybe you aren't so feeble after all. But, that's behinds us. On to your second task._

_Go to the old Chamberlin-Mercy Hospital and go to ER Room number 23. That number is significant to your life, is it not? Don't you remember, your dorm room number in college? Ah, good times for you, Alex. Good times. For me, they weren't so great, especially after what you did to me. But let's get back to the hospital. Go there, go to the room. You will be surrounded by video cameras and various anesthetics and numbing medications. The cameras will be on and recording your every movement and action. You may not use the medications or anesthetics. If I see you use one tiny droplet or one insignificant pill, I will kill Tino._

_There will be a table in the center of the room. A single, shining, sharpened hatchet will be lying on the table. You are to remove any two fingers on either hand with said hatchet, without any painkillers, anesthetics, or disinfectants. When I see that you have removed your fingers, I will play a tape that is implanted in one of the cameras. It will tell you where your next clue is, that is, if you choose to complete this task. If you don't, Tino dies. So, Alexianos, it's two of your fingers, or Tino's life._

_Are you willing to lose a part of you, to save the life of the one you love? Good luck, Alexianos. Your second trial begins now._

_I.B._

My heart nearly stopped at just the thought of doing such a thing. I was an architect. I needed my hands.

I started breathing quickly, but I forced myself to calm down and not hyperventilate and cause myself to faint. I couldn't lose valuable time. I had to do this for Tino. I could live without two fingers, right? Being left-handed, I would obviously remove two fingers on my right. Since our most used fingers are our thumbs, our index, and middle fingers, my two fingers that I would have to say goodbye to, were the pinkie and ring fingers of my right hand.

Good God, I made it sound so _easy._ Yeah. Just chop off your fingers with no anesthetics. No big deal.

I half chuckled at myself. Was I really capable of doing this, even at the cost of the love of my life's own existence as a living person? I most definitely wasn't a masochist. This wasn't just going to be a simple pain either. This was going to be the pain of cutting off your own fingers. It was going to absolutely dwarf the pain of crawling through broken glass.

I set the note on the counter, and then went to the laundry room, grabbing some clothes out of the drying and slipping them on. An old beat up pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I wouldn't care if blood stained them. They were going to get thrown out soon anyways.

I slipped on a pair of socks, and over them the work boots I had worn the previous day. I grabbed an old leather jacket and a single glove, putting it on my left hand, then heading out into the freezing winter morning.

I was hoping that the cold would numb my right hand. Maybe it would serve as some sort of natural anesthetic, but I knew that it wasn't going to help much.

I made my way silently to the hospital, the few people who passed me on their morning jog or walk to work or wherever, not heeding any attention to me, until a certain friend came jogging up with a grin on his face. His name was Mathias Køhler, a man I had come to know at some college parties. He was a heavy drinker and a man's man back in college, but once he graduated, he hit the straight and narrow with a successful career as some kind of business executive.

"Hey, hey, Alex! Long time no see!" He greeted cheerfully, blue eyes beaming. I looked up at the tall man, not even faking a smile.

"Hey Mat… Listen, I've got to get going. I can't chat long."

"What's your hurry? It's five-thirty in the morning, and you work at home. Can't be heading anywhere important."

"I can't begin to explain, so just leave me be. Maybe tomorrow or in two days, you'll see why I'm out so early. I just… In the next few days, watch the local news, alright? You'll understand."

"Okay, man. I'll trust you, I guess. Never done me wrong before. Not even when you were crippled in your second year; remember that?"

"Yeah, don't remind me. I've got one thing on my mind right now, and I've got to get to it, so I'll be on my way."

"See you, Alexianos."

Without another word, I continued on, eventually finding the hospital. It was old and decrepit. I made my way inside without anyone seeing me, and walked around the halls. Everything was dust-covered and it smelled like mold. This place was so unsanitary; the opposite of what it had used to be. I remembered this place; ten years ago it had been so different.

I made my way to the ER, following old signs that hardly hung from the ceilings from rusty nails or chains.

Finally, I arrived at room 23. I placed my hand upon the doorknob and pushed the door open to reveal a single pristine room. It was clean, and like the letter had described, there were multiple video cameras and anesthetics everywhere. On the shelves, on the ground, on the ceiling; including the anesthetics. They were hanging from baskets in a tempting manner. Video cameras dangled over them. The lenses were all watching something; either they were watching me, or they were watching the anesthetics to see if I took any.

The table at the center was a bright white, with a single, simple TV camera sitting on it, facing a chair that resided on the other side. The hatchet lay before that camera, and thus before me.

I took a seat in the chair and stared down at my cold right hand. The weather outside had numbed it ever-so slightly, so I had to do this before that bit of numbness went away. I had to do this. If only I could reach forward and grab the hatchet and just get it over with but I was so scared.

I couldn't move.

I was frozen in absolute terror of what I had to do.

I was fearful of the amount of pain this would cause.

I'd heard stories about carpenters whom had their fingers hacked off in accidents with buzz saws or other industrial machines, but none of it was intentionally self-inflicted, and they had described it as one of the worst physical pains anyone can go through.

I had to take a hatchet.

I had to set my hand on the table.

I had to raise the hatchet.

I had to swing it down.

I had to chop off two of my fingers.

No anesthetics.

No painkillers except for the ones I had taken at home.

No professional help except for when I made it back to safety about a half hour's walk away.

I had to survive.

Those were my tasks.

I slowly reached forward with my left hand, grabbing a hold of the hatchet. It had a light handle, but a heavy head. It glinted, almost reflecting my own image on the blade that would soon be covered in my blood.

I took a deep, shaky breath and placed my right hand upon the table, spreading my index and middles fingers as far away as my hand could possibly get them from the other two which I had decided were the unlucky two to go.

I twirled the hatchet in my left hand, trying to familiarize myself with the weapon. I would need to be accurate. I very slowly brought it down to pinpoint where I needed to hit; just past the point of attachment where the fingers join the hand. That would be simple to get through, right? The blade of the hatchet was sharp, and if I swung with enough force, there would be no skin that still connected the fingers, so I wouldn't be left with the digits dangling and have to tear them or cut them off. One swing was all I wanted, and all I needed.

Just one swing of the hatchet and this task was over.

_Just…_

_One…_

_Swing…_

I raised the hatchet quickly, but stopped when it was just above my head. I was frozen again. I stared at my fingers, strained to a point where I probably looked insane.

"Come on, Alex… It's for Tino… Two fingers, for Tino… Just **do it.**" I urged myself, trying to gain some type of motivation to do this.

It was only two fingers.

And pain wasn't permanent, even though the scars were.

I lowered the hatchet slowly to pinpoint the area I needed to hit once again, and then took a few deep breaths. They were shaky, but it was all I could handle.

I lifted the hatchet, and with as much precision and accuracy and force and motivation as I could, slammed the blade down on the fingers, successfully removing them.

I let out a long and loud cry of absolute agony as blood poured from the wounds, pain surging through me in waves of extreme anguish. I fell sideways out of the chair, clasping my right hand in my left one, crying, screaming, groaning, and rolling around on the ground because I had just used a hatchet to chop off two fingers.

I must have spent five minutes crying and screaming before I managed to stand up, taking my glove that I had worn on my left hand, and using it in an odd way to function as a meager bandage for the wounds. It would do until I got home, if I got home.

A voice piped up from one of the video cameras.

"_Well done, Alexianos. Check under the chair to find your note with the next clue to Tino's location."_

I quickly flipped the chair over with my left hand and retrieved the note that was stuck to the bottom of it with a piece of tape. I shoved it in my pocket without reading it, and rushed out of the room. I clasped my right hand in my left and practically ran, trying not to scream, trying not to cry though I knew tears were streaming down my cheeks. I stumbled my way home, leaving a trail of blood in the light snow.

I barged inside my home, knocking over things as I made my way through to the kitchen, holding my right hand over the sink, letting the blood flow down the drain. I let out a cry. "Sadik!" I shouted. "God, Sadik, h-help me!"

I soon found myself joined by both Sadik and Eileen. Eileen had to back away in horror and disgust, rushing to the bathroom to most likely vomit at the sight. Sadik quickly rushed to the living room and grabbed his bag full of medical supplies, performing a mediocre surgery to seal my finger stubs and disinfect them. He then wrapped them in heavy bandages, looking me in the eyes when he finished.

"It's all I can do. Take some paracetamol… a-and don't irritate the stitches, alright…?" I could tell the man was shaken and horrified. He wasn't used to this kind of operation. He was used to the order of a hospital, and not this kind of gruesome thing. I had just chopped off two of my fingers. Voluntarily.

"Did I.B…. Did he make you do this?" Sadik asked.

"Th-The note i-is on the counter…. I-I…" I resisted a scream that came up through my throat. "I-I had to remove two fingers with a-a hatchet… no anesthetics… n-no time to waste…" I stammered, not only woozy from losing blood, but from the shock of the pain and the adrenalin that still flowed through my veins. It was probably the only thing keeping me from passing out.

Sadik helped me upstairs and to my bedroom, instructing me to lie down while he retrieved the painkillers from downstairs. I writhed in pain, groaning out of agony. It hurt so badly. There was nothing to compare it to. This was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life.

Sadik soon returned with the painkillers and a glass of water. I gratefully took the pills and drank what water I could, before lying back, trembling. I was in so much pain and I was scared and so fearful and terrified and oh God I couldn't even imagine what the hell the third task was.

I didn't want to think about it.

I didn't want to think about anything worse than what I had just done.

I would crawl through glass again. I would give up my job, my house, my money, my pride, my anything. Anything but Tino's life, and my life.

I reached into my pocket with my left hand and retrieved the clue to where Tino was.

1_ _o_e_ _

I tried to remember the clue I had gotten after my first task, but it was futile. I couldn't recall anything right now but the pain of removing my own finger. I couldn't talk, I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't do a single thing but replay the scene over and over and over in my head.

I had lifted the hatchet, and had brought it down on my fingers. My fingers were removed, blood gushed everywhere, and I cried and screamed in agony. Simple as that.

"Y-Y-You should check o-on Eileen…" I muttered quietly to Sadik, who sighed a bit.

"Yeah... I wish there was more I could do for you, Alex… but I can't do anything."

"Y-You've done e-enough…"

"I'll check on you in a little while. Try to sleep, alright?"

I didn't respond. Sadik walked out and I sighed shakily, allowing tears, not of pain, but of sorrow to fall.

I was so weak.

I was so scared.

I was so feeble and tired and I didn't know if I could handle another task like this.

I closed my eyes, and all I saw was the lens of a video camera staring back at me. I opened my eyes quickly, shaking my head. All this strain was getting to me. All these things. All the pain, all the mental stress.

If I didn't die in the next task, I'd sure as hell be insane.


	3. Error

I awoke in the morning with the most painful of feelings. My right hand was aching terribly, and the cuts on my arms and legs from my first trial were in a similar pain. I felt incredibly sick to my stomach; enough to get me to quickly stumble my way to the bathroom and empty what little contents resided in my stomach into the toilet.

Sitting back against the wall after the ordeal of puking my guts out, I pressed the heels of my hands against my watery, tired eyes. My physical and mental health was deteriorating severely.

My heart pounded in my chest at the thought of having to complete one final trial. I was anxious to find out what it was and complete it, but I was scared out of my mind to know what I had to do. I didn't want to have to go through any more pain than what I had already been through. Crawling through broken glass and chopping off two fingers, all voluntarily, was enough for me.

I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling, thinking of the man I had done all of this for. Tino Väinämöinen, the love of my life, my devoted husband… I couldn't fail him. I hadn't been able to protect him when I.B. had first come to take him, but now I.B. was giving me the chance to save his life. I had to take this chance and go through with it. I had to do the third trial, whatever it may be.

I stood shakily and made my way downstairs where Sadik and Eileen were. Sadik was sitting at the kitchen island, reading the newspaper, while Eileen was cleaning the sink with a rag and some bleach.

"Did you sleep alright, Alexianos?" Sadik asked when he noticed me. His eyes were full of concern.

"No… And waking up was worse, but I can't let it get to me…" I cringed a bit in pain as I walked. "Where's that paracetamol?" I asked, almost desperate to take the painkillers. I hoped I wasn't developing an addiction to the meds, but at this moment, I really couldn't find it in myself if to care if I was turning into an addict.

Sadik reached across the island and handed me the pill bottle, which only had two more pills. "Take what's left. Did you get sick when you woke up?"

"Yes." I muttered, opening the bottle and taking the remaining pills without any need for a drink.

"That's a side-effect of the amount of paracetamol you've taken… Eat something before you do your next trial. You'll get sick even more if you don't have anything in your stomach." Sadik explained. "Just eat a piece of bread or something. I know you're probably not very hungry considering your condition, but you don't want to make things worse."

I meandered over to the counter next to Eileen, grabbing a piece of sliced bread and forcing myself to take a bite. I glanced to Eileen, who seemed just about as frazzled as me. She definitely wasn't used to seeing people in such terrible condition, and most definitely wasn't used to seeing so much blood.

"Hang in there, Eileen… Today is the last day." I said quietly. A small smile appeared on her face and she looked to me.

"I made a promise to ye that I would stay until this ordeal ended. I'll wait to lose my mind until I can get home and Aeden can console me." She chuckled lightly, and my lips curled into a smile for a few seconds. My smile quickly faded, and I forced myself to finish eating the piece of bread that I held in my hand.

Once I was sure the food would stay down, I took a quick drink of water from a bottle of water in the fridge, then headed to the table beside the couch in the living room where the third letter and the package resided. I took them to the kitchen island and sighed. "Time to get started."

I opened the letter and read it carefully.

_Dear Alexianos,_

_Don't worry, you won't be hurting yourself anymore. I bet that's a relief, huh? Let's get to the point._

_Your third trial is the ultimate test of your willingness to save your husband's life. You are to go to the household of a close friend of you and your husband, and kill him. Inside the package resides a single pistol, with a seven-round magazine. On the side of the pistol, there is a phone number carved into the metal. Once you have killed the target with a bullet to the head, you are to take a picture with your phone, and send it to the number. You will receive a response with the rest of the address of Tino's location._

_The man you are to kill? Well, you should know him as the smart-ass who was the passenger of the car you ran me over with. He was the one who influenced you to drink yourself into oblivion and get behind the wheel of a car. He was smashed too, but my blame for the accident goes to both of you. I am permanently handicapped because of the car crash, Alexianos. I have one leg now, and I suffered severe brain trauma. You put me in a coma. Do you remember? Do you remember who I am now?_

_Most of all, are you willing to kill Eduard Von Boch to save the life of your precious Tino? Your third trial starts now._

_-I.B._

I dropped the note, eyes gone wide in shock, trembling in terror. How did I not realize it sooner?! It was Ivan Braginsky doing this! I.B. was Ivan Braginsky!

Memories flooded back to me. The car crash. Sophomore year of my college education, I had gotten drunk with Eduard, whom was an Estonian engineering classmate of mine. I had gotten behind the wheel, and had swerved off the road just to hit a wall. Though, between the car and the wall, Ivan had been crushed. One of his legs had been severed around the mid-thigh, and he has smashed the back of his head on the concrete wall. Eduard and I survived with only a few injuries, and we escaped jail-time by paying some very hefty fines. Ivan was put in a coma for almost six months, and he's hated me since. I had ruined his chances of completing his education, and had ruined his chances at a normal life.

I hardly noticed the tears streaming down my cheeks, until Sadik placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

"Alex, what's wrong? What's it say?" He asked, concerned.

"I-Ivan Braginsky is I.B. He's taking his revenge on me for ruining his life. A-And he wants me to take his revenge on Eduard by… by killing him…" I managed to say. Eileen and Sadik both looked to be in absolute shock.

I slowly opened the package despite the fact that I didn't want to. A sleek, silver pistol resided inside, with a magazine next to it. I took them both in my hands, loading the magazine into the pistol and pulling back on the slide, loading a round in the chamber. I only knew how to use this thing from movies I had watched. I had never held a gun in my hand before.

I looked at the side of the weapon, being sure that the safety was on.

"Y-You've got to be kidding me, Alex… You could never kill a man… even for Tino." Sadik said. "Please tell me you're not going to do this…"

I took a deep, shaky breath. "I-I can't just let Ivan kill Tino."

"Alex, ye… Ye are really going to go through with this? Murder is illegal, ye know… Ye can't win this. If ye kill Eduard, the cops will be after ye and not Ivan." Eileen pleaded with me to not do the trial.

"What choice do I have?" I asked. "It's either Eduard dies, or Tino dies, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather have the love of my life live!"

"There has to be a way out of this, Alex… If you kill Eduard, you'll go to prison for life, even if you get a chance to explain to the cops what happened!" Sadik raised his voice, standing. "Like Eileen said, you can't win! And what will Tino think of you if you've killed a man? Do you really think Tino will still love you after finding out that you used a gun to shoot his best friend in the skull?"

I set the gun on the table and clasped my head in my hands, letting out a quiet sob. "I-I don't know what to do… I-I've got two clues as to where Tino is, a-and I need the third to know…"

"The two clues, they're part of an address, right?" Eileen asked. I nodded my head. "If ye can get them, we can try to narrow it down based on what's there… I don't know about ye, but I'm not letting anyone die."

I reaching into my pocket and set the second clue on the table.

1_ _o_e_ _

"Sadik, where did you put my pants that I had been wearing on the first day?" I asked. He motioned to the garbage bin at the side of the kitchen, and I walked over. I retrieved the pants and got the note out of the pocket it resided in. I then sit it on the table along with the other note.

_4_ R_e_ _

We put the two together, coming up with a partial address; 14-Ro-e-e- -

"We can't make much out of this…" Sadik muttered. "… There aren't a lot of street names that long that start with 'r' around here… I know there's Reverend Avenue, because that's the road that the hospital is on, and that doesn't fit in with the letters we have…"

"Isn't Eduard one of the top city construction engineers? He's probably memorized the entire layout of this city, and the streets in it… If there's anyone who can decode this, it's him." Eileen replied. Sadik and I looked to each other, then to Eileen.

"You're a genius, Eileen, you know that?" I said. "Let's go. We don't have time to waste."

Sadik grabbed the slightly-bloodied notes on the table and headed out the door with Eileen. The woman waited for me at the door as I grabbed the pistol, putting in in the waist of my pants on my hip. I covered it with my shirt and sighed. "If it comes down to it, I'll kill to get the last clue."

I walked out and got in Eileen's truck that was parked in the driveway, sitting in the passenger seat while Sadik resided in the back. Eileen got in the driver's seat and put her keys in the ignition, starting up the vehicle.

She pulled out of the driveway and went down the road. Eduard didn't live far; only about a ten minute drive.

When we arrived at Eduard's simple home, Eileen parked in the driveway next to the Estonian's blue luxury sedan. We all exited the vehicle, and went up to the front door. I rang the doorbell, and within a few moments, Eduard opened the door, immediately confused.

"Hey… What's going on, guys?" He asked, looking over each one of us. The thirty year old man's bright green eyes widened in shock when he saw my bandaged right hand with two missing fingers. "What happened to your hand?"

"Long story short, I'm in a sticky situation." I looked to Sadik, and he handed the two bloodied notes to Eduard, who hesitantly took them. "Those are two parts of an address. Ivan Braginsky kidnapped Tino and has put me through two days of grueling trials to find clues as to where he put my husband. Today is the last day I have to complete my given tasks, or else Tino dies. I need you to try to figure out what this address is."

"And you want me to decipher these why?" Eduard asked, adjusting his glasses and looking at the notes.

"Because Ivan wants me to kill you to get the third clue to complete the address." I answered, lifting up my shirt slightly to show the man the pistol on my hip.

"Wh-Whoa, man, I don't know if I should trust you with that…" Eduard took a step back. "If I don't know this, you're going to shoot me. I don't like my odds."

"I don't have a choice, Eduard. I… I value Tino's life more than yours. You have to understand that."

Eduard nodded his head. "I… I'll see what I can do. I may be able to get the street name, but… Numbers are a question… Come on inside."

We followed the Estonian man to his living room where I took a sort of guilty pleasure in the scent of burning candles. Lavender, I identified the scent to be. Eduard booted up his laptop, which sat on the coffee table; it was a pretty high-tech thing, probably at least a two-thousand dollar computer.

He pulled up a map of the city with the streets and looked at the notes, entering a few things into the computer. Within moments, a long list was pulled up on the screen, with letters cycling through street names.

"Are you a hacker or something, Eduard?" Sadik asked. Eduard chuckled.

"I'm an engineer of many trades." He responded, looking over some of the street names. "I think… No, that's not it…" He adjusted his glasses, and for a few moments, we all waited in silence.

"Roosevelt. That's the street name. There's two roads with the name Roosevelt in the city. There's Roosevelt Avenue, and Roosevelt Street. Street is in a suburban neighborhood by the highway, and Avenue is… if I'm not mistaken that's where my next construction project is being planned out. It's where the old police station used to be. Four story building that's going to be torn down…" Eduard sighed a bit and looked to a paper on the table. "Next week, actually. It's to be replaced with a new building for the University, which is to be completed by the fall of next year..."

"That has to be it." I stated. "Ivan wouldn't keep Tino somewhere where there are a lot of people. What's the address of the building?"

"1472 Roosevelt Avenue." Eduard said. He looked at the notes, then to his computer. "That fits the clues."

"Tino is there; there's no mistaking it." Hope flowed through my veins, as well as relief. I didn't have to kill anyone. I didn't have to commit a crime to save Tino. At least, for now.

"You know where the building is, right?" I asked Eduard. He nodded.

"I'll take you guys there, if you'd like." He replied.

"Sadik and I will follow in my truck. Ye and Alex can take the same car." Eileen headed to the door, followed by Sadik. Eduard stood after shutting off his computer, looking to me once we were alone in his home.

"Why is Ivan doing this?"

"He wants revenge on me for the car crash that happened in college… And he wants revenge on you, too. That's why he wanted me to kill you." I explained, looking the taller man in the eyes.

"You weren't actually going to shoot me, right?"

"If Eileen hadn't come up with the idea of using what you know to find the address, I would have been forced to kill you in order to save Tino."

"Love makes people do crazy things, huh?"

"Yeah… I've crawled through broken glass and chopped off two of my fingers voluntarily."

"Christ, man… When this is over, check yourself into an asylum." Eduard joked. I smiled slightly at the humor.

"I'll need it." I replied, exiting the home with the Estonian man. We got in his car and as he drove, I removed the gun from its place on my hip.

"Just curious… Are… Are you going to kill Ivan?" He questioned, glancing to the gun, which I held in my left hand.

"If it comes down to it." I replied quietly. Anxiety made me tremble; what was I going to do? Just walk in there and expect for everything to go down perfectly alright? I hadn't completed the third task. I would be arriving unexpected, and most likely unwelcome.

When we arrived, I immediately understood why the building was being torn down. Half of it was already crumbled to ruin, and what was left looked like it'd be crumble as well if a gust of wind hit it just right.

"I'm guessing you want to go in alone?" Eduard looked to me, worry in his eyes.

"I have to." I opened the car door and got out, holding the gun in my hand and taking a deep breath of cold air. I shut the door and walked towards the building. About half way to it, I looked over my shoulder. All three of my friend were standing outside of their vehicles, watching me.

The tall, tan-skinned Sadik leaned against Eileen's truck, his arms crossed. The sleeves of his shirt were stained red with my blood. His hair was a mess, and his eyes showed his tiredness. I owed my life to the man; he had tended to my wounds when no one else could. Without him stitching up my hand, I probably would have bled to death.

Eileen, the pale-skinned redhead stood next to Sadik, looking worn and exhausted. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he spoke quietly to herself. I knew she was praying for me.

Eduard sat on the hood of his car, cleaning his glasses with his shirt, looking strained. I knew he was concerned, but he was probably incredibly confused and still trying to make sense of the situation.

I would have to thank all three of them if I came out of here alive.

I entered the building and looked around. It was dark and things were incredibly messy. Desks were overturned, as were chairs. Documents and files lay scattered about the floor. I heard a single voice speak from the shadows.

"You're here early." He said. I knew it was Ivan.

"Where is Tino?" I demanded. "I'm done with this game of yours, Ivan. Tell me where my husband is!"

The tall, blonde-haired, violet-eyed man stepped into my line of sight. He held a pistol of his own in his right hand.

"How did you find this place if you did not kill Eduard?" The Russian questioned, pulling back the slide of his pistol, loading a bullet in the chamber and aiming it at me. I, in turn, aimed my own gun at him.

"Eduard is an intelligent man. We managed to figure out the address with his help. He's the city's top construction engineer, and apparently, he knows quite a bit about computers." I explained.

"I should have known you wouldn't take someone's life to save your husband." Ivan stepped forward. The look in his eyes was that of pure insanity and hatred.

"No one has to die here, Ivan. Just tell me where Tino is, and I'll let you be on your way."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ivan smirked. "You didn't do what I told you to. You've failed the trials." He said. He kicked a desk over to reveal Tino, who lay on the ground, unconscious. His face was cut up and bruised, and he was bound by handcuffs on both his wrists and his ankles.

"Undo the handcuffs and let him go!" I demanded. Ivan just laughed and placed his foot on Tino's head. He reached into his pocket with the hand that wasn't holding a gun and pulled out a small key.

"You want the key, Alex? Let me make a compromise…" He grinned maniacally, placing the key between his teeth. "Shoot yourself in the abdomen, and I will give you the key. I'll even toss my gun aside so that you don't have to worry about me shooting Tino. But, if you don't shoot yourself, I will swallow the key." Ivan threw his gun to the other side of the room, and I was now frozen in thought. I had to shoot myself in the stomach; something that could most definitely be fatal. I flicked the safety on my gun off, and then took a few breaths.

I shakily turned my gun around, holding it backwards, my thumb on the trigger. I pressed the barrel just above my navel, taking a deep breath.

Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. A bullet tore through my abdomen, and pain seared through me. I cried out in pain and fell to my knees, whimpering. "G-Give me the key, Ivan!"

The Russian man smiled and walked over, placing the key on the ground in front of me. I grabbed it with a bloody hand and scrambled over to Tino, who was rousing from his unconsciousness. I undid the handcuffs on his ankles, and moved to his wrists. He opened his eyes and looked to me.

"A-Alex? Alex!" He was in absolute shock. I smiled, though it faded quickly in my pained state. I unlocked the handcuffs on his wrists and he wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Oh God, Alex! I-I thought I'd never see you again! H-He told me what he'd put you through… D-Did you kill Eduard…?"

I shook my head, unable to speak. He glanced down at my abdomen. "O-Oh my God, Alex, you're hurt!"

"I-I know, Tino… C-Can you… walk?" I choked out, feeling blood well up in the back of my throat. I let it flow out of my mouth, dripping out of the corner of my mouth. My Finnish husband nodded his head and helped me stand up, assisting me in walking out of the building. As the doors shut behind us, we heard a second gunshot, and the thump of a body on the floor.

"H-He just…" Tino stammered, looking over his shoulder, though continuing to walk forward. Ivan had just killed himself, inevitably.

I could hardly bring myself to continue walking. I only made it about three-fourths of the way to the vehicles of my friends before I collapsed. I was barely conscious.

I couldn't make out what anyone was saying. I knew everyone was panicking. I felt a pair of hands on my abdomen, most likely Sadik trying to stop the bleeding.

I lost consciousness within mere seconds after that.


	4. End

I didn't know what time or what day it was.

I didn't know where I was.

I couldn't feel anything but the aching pain in my stomach.

I tried to open my eyes, and was greeted by dim light. One blurred figure sat on what looked like a chair to the left side of the room. I moved my head a bit, looking at my surroundings. I realized that I was in a hospital room.

I had an IV in my wrist that was pumping something into my veins. I could hardly feel it. My whole body was weak and I felt like any moment I would pass out again, but I fought to clear my vision and stay awake.

I blinked my eyes a few times, finally recognizing the figure at the side of the room. It was Tino.

He looked as pristine as ever, eyes scanning over the pages of a paperback book that was in his hands. I saw that it was a copy of _All Quiet On The Western Front._ That was a good book; one of Tino's favorites.

"… Tino…" I muttered, my voice hardly above a whisper. Somehow, my Finnish husband heard me. He looked to me and immediately, a grin plastered itself on his face. He marked his page in his book and set it down, standing up and walking over to my side.

"Alex, you're awake… How are you feeling?" He asked, gently grabbing a hold of my hand.

"… Very weak… very tired…" I replied. "… What happened after…" I trailed off, unsure of the sequence of events that had put me here.

"You passed out from blood loss… We rushed you here to the hospital, where you were put in emergency surgery… You've been unconscious for two days… I'm so glad you're going to be okay."

"… What happened to… Ivan?"

"He…" Tino took a breath. "He killed himself as soon as we exited the building he had me in…"

"I thought so… Is… Is the media all over this?"

"International headlines, actually… The press wants your side of the story, but you've been unconscious. They've gotten stories from Eileen, Sadik, Ed, and I… You're being called the most unselfish, noble, loving man… because you put yourself through hell just to save me. Not to mention this is a big showing for gays. You've got people all over the world realizing what true love is… That your partner, whether a man or a woman, is someone you would potentially die for… I can't believe what you went through… I read the notes. You crawled through broken glass twice, removed two of your fingers, and shot yourself, all for me… I'm glad you didn't kill Ed… I don't know if I could have handled that."

"I… I guess love makes us do crazy things, huh…? I'm not perfect… but damn, I'll do anything to save the life of someone I think is perfect…" I squeezed Tino's hand with what strength I had. "My husband… My love… My life…"

Tino smiled that amazing smile he had, chuckling lightly. "Rest, Alexei… Now that I know you're okay, I can sit here in peace."

I nodded my head, and then closed my eyes. I was soon asleep, peacefully for the first time in the past few days.

Ooo

A few days passed, and I was soon allowed out of the hospital. I returned to my home to find that the tire clamps on my car were gone, and that my house was cleaned up. There were no bloodstains anywhere, and there was a new couch in the living room.

I sat down in one of the chairs and let out a sigh, glancing around. On the TV, the local news was on. My interview with the media was being broadcast for the first time.

"_It was something I never thought I would have to do in life. I was not mentally prepared to potentially die for the man I love, but I took the risk anyways. I crawled through broken glass, lopped off two of my own fingers, and shot myself in the stomach, all to save Tino… My fight or flight response was all fight, and no flight. But, I guess, when it comes to someone you __**really**__ care about, you'll do anything to see them alive. I did it, nearly at the cost of my own life… but I survived. I live on to tell the story. Love makes us do crazy things, you know? If I had the chance to go back to day one after Tino was kidnapped, I wouldn't change a thing I did. I would still crawl through the glass, chop off my fingers, and shoot myself, because that's love. I'd rather seriously hurt myself than hurt anyone else. I'd rather hurt myself, and save the life of an innocent person… It hurt, a lot at that, but no amount of pain could have stopped me from saving Tino… I just wanted to see him smile and tell him that I loved him, you know?"_

I smiled to myself and looked to Tino. He was standing in the kitchen, talking on the phone in Finnish with whom I presumed was his sister back in Finland. I watched him talk; I noted that he always did that stereotypical gay hand motion when he was on the phone, whether he was talking to his sister or ordering pizza. Always. I found it somewhat funny; Tino was lean and fit, and sometimes could appear to be the most straight man on the planet, but there were these moments where he just seemed completely, utterly, fabulously, homosexual.

And that's something I loved about him.

I embraced everything Tino did. The way he talked, walked, moved, and carried himself about. How he chose to dress and act and how he was. His decisions were his own, and I respected that. I never judged him. I loved him enough to die for him. I had come very close to fulfilling that saying.

I had suffered so much, and caused myself so much pain, all for him.

It was worth it to his beautiful face once again. To hear him speak, to hear him breathe. To know that he was still alive because of me.

I stood from my place on the chair and walked over to him as he hung up his cell phone. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, placing a hand over the center of his chest.

"I love you, Tino… In all my years, I never thought I would ever love someone like I love you."

Tino turned around and smiled, lips separating slightly to show the edges of pristine, white teeth.

"I love you too, Alex…" He pulled me into a soft kiss, cupping my cheeks in his hands. There was so much emotion put into the embrace; I knew it. When he pulled away slightly, he pressed his forehead to mine.

"To know that you would do all that you did for me… I wish I could repay you, but I know the amount you paid in pain and blood and tears is something that no one could ever repay."

"Your presence alone is enough for me, Tino…" I smiled. "I knew I had to save you… You are perfect to me."

"And you are perfect to me, Alexianos. Through every flaw we both have... God, I know this is love."

He pulled my lips to his once again, and though I had promised myself not to get too emotional in coming days, I could help the tears that welled up in my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks.

Tino pulled away to brush his thumbs across my face, wiping the tears away. "Why're you crying?" He asked.

"To be honest, I'm not too sure, Tino… All I know is that I can't regret a single thing I've done. After all of these trials and all of these errors I've been forced to go through in my life… I can't bring myself to regret what has put me here in your hands. Words cannot express what I feel. A simple 'I love you' doesn't feel like enough…"

"It's enough for me, Alex… What do you say you and I actually do something for our anniversary next week?"

I had almost forgotten that Tino and I's wedding anniversary was only five days away.

"What do you want to do?" I questioned.

"Let's go somewhere we've never been."

"What do you mean, Mars or something?" I joked, laughing a bit. Tino laughed as well. How I adored that sweet tone.

"No, like an island." He suggested. "Or maybe a cabin in the woods of Northern California."

"I like the Northern California idea." I replied.

"Then it's settled. Next week, we'll both head up to Northern California and spend a few nights alone together in a cabin… It'll be nice. Just you, and me, and no troubles of city life."

"Yeah… Sounds great,"

With a sincere smile on my face, I held him just a bit closer, and had not a single regret about anything that I had ever done.

From here on out, nothing could stand in the way of my love for Tino.


End file.
